Chelsea in May can feel like several seasons in a single afternoon. This Roberts London walk, originally published on 30 May 2017, begins at Sloane Square in uncertain sunshine. It continues past the Royal Hospital, detours to Harrods in Knightsbridge and finishes with a duck confit sandwich at Duke of York Square.
The film captures an ordinary Saturday before that year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Rain interrupts the walk, the umbrella comes out and, just as lunch approaches, the sun returns. That changing weather gives the journey its rhythm.
Chelsea in May: flower-show preparations
From Sloane Square, I head towards the Royal Hospital to see the setting for the Chelsea Flower Show. The show has not yet opened when I film this visit. Trucks and preparations provide a glimpse of the work taking place, rather than a tour of the finished gardens.
The Royal Hospital is also a destination in its own right. Its red-brick buildings and formal grounds stand apart from the shopping streets nearby. The film pauses outside to look at the architecture and talk about the Chelsea Pensioners, whose home this is.
May brings more outdoor events into London’s calendar. In the film, I mention open-air theatre, music in Trafalgar Square and the Underbelly festival on the South Bank. Chelsea’s floral displays are another part of that seasonal picture, though this walk takes place before the flower-show week.
Sloane Square and the walk to Knightsbridge
Back at Sloane Square, the focus shifts to shopping. Peter Jones anchors one corner, while the King’s Road and Sloane Street lead away in different directions. There are plenty of smaller streets to explore between the familiar names.
I take a detour towards Harrods, passing quieter corners and mews houses along the way. These streets offer a different view of the neighbourhood: domestic doorways, garages and brick facades between the busy shopping routes.
The walk also demonstrates why a forecast alone can be a poor guide to a London day. I had left home in a T-shirt that morning, but the rain soon makes an umbrella necessary. By the time I return to Chelsea, the light has changed again.
A different view of Harrods
At Harrods, I linger outside the building rather than going shopping. The quieter side entrances and decorative stonework reward a closer look. The famous frontage may be the best-known view, but the film finds plenty to admire around the back as well.
After passing the outdoor Ladurée café, I turn back towards Chelsea. Lunch is still the main objective. On Pavilion Road, a wine merchant, cheesemonger and artisan baker catch my attention: a compact collection of food shops tucked behind the department-store streets.
Saturday lunch at Duke of York Square
The sun returns as I reach the King’s Road. Across the street, Duke of York Square is busy with people browsing the food market. The Saatchi Gallery and the surrounding buildings give the square a handsome backdrop, but the smell of cooking soon takes priority.
I walk around the shopping courtyards before heading for a familiar choice: the Partridges market stall. At first, there is no duck cooking in sight. Then the pan is back in action, and lunch is secured.
Partridges duck confit with plum sauce
The sandwich comes generously filled with duck and salad. I choose plum sauce from the sauces on offer, its sweetness cutting through the rich meat. It is a combination I have returned for before, and this visit confirms why.
Finding somewhere to sit proves harder than buying lunch. The seats are taken, so I settle down at street level beside the King’s Road. The film keeps that less polished part of a market visit: balancing food, finding a space and finally getting to eat.
Afterwards, I head back into the market in search of coffee. The route has taken in formal buildings, luxury shops, quieter streets and a very satisfying sandwich, all within one changeable May afternoon.
About this archive visit
This article records Chelsea in May 2017. Shops, traders and event information reflect the original visit. The film’s flower-show discussion is seasonal context; it does not show a visit inside the Chelsea Flower Show. For another chapter in the neighbourhood, see our 2018 Partridges and fine food market visit.
